{"id":22235,"date":"2024-07-16T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-16T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/urc\/daily-devotion-tuesday-16th-july-2024"},"modified":"2024-07-16T06:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T05:00:00","slug":"daily-devotion-tuesday-16th-july-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/daily-devotion-tuesday-16th-july-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Daily Devotion Tuesday 16th July 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hebrews 9:15-28<\/strong> (from the NRSV (Anglicised), with OT quote in italics)<\/span><\/p>\n

15 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. 16 Where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. 17 For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. 18 Hence not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. 19 For when every commandment had been told to all the people by Moses in accordance with the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the scroll itself and all the people, 20 saying, \u2018This is the blood of the covenant that God has ordained for you.\u2019 21 And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.<\/span><\/p>\n

23 Thus it was necessary for the sketches of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves need better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; 26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reflection<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s verses centre on the death of Jesus and on what it achieved. The mention of \u2018new covenant\u2019 is a signal (v.15). Comparisons are ahead, between \u2018the first covenant\u2019 (vv.15, 18) and Jesus. We start with connections between these two phases of God\u2019s work (vv.16-22). Then the writer emphasises that what Jesus offers is new and different (vv.23-28).<\/span><\/p>\n

The chief connection is that a death has occurred. Hebrews picks up a double meaning: the word \u2018covenant\u2019 can also mean \u2018will\u2019 \u2013 as in \u2018last will and testament\u2019. So you would expect a covenant to take effect after death; a will has no force until then (vv.16-17). Indeed the covenant at Sinai was inaugurated by sacrifice and ceremonial sprinkling of the people (Exodus 24). All this is precedent for the covenant \u2018mediated\u2019 by Jesus (v.15).<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet heaven deserves a better and fuller offering than that made at Sinai (v.23). Again Hebrews contrasts the repeated sacrifices made by temple priests and the unique self-offering of Jesus (v.25; as in 7:27). There is a finality and fullness about the death of Jesus. It takes away sin decisively and lastingly (v.26). The cross, and the mercy released there, reach across time. As we die once, so did Jesus, and his death is sufficient \u2018to bear the sins of many\u2019 (vv.27-28). His coming again will seal and secure what his cross has achieved: he will \u2018save those who wait for him\u2019 (v.28). If we are apprehensive about judgement (v.27), here is a focus for hope. <\/span><\/p>\n

We may wonder about the original readers\u2019 anxieties. Certainly they were facing pressure and some persecution. Did they also miss the security that sacrificial worship had once given them \u2013 the assurance of pardon and belonging? <\/span>If these were their concerns, Hebrews reminds them that Jesus offers all this, and more.   <\/p>\n

Prayer<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Lord Jesus Christ, <\/span>
    you see the fears and anxieties of my Christian life,<\/span>
    my awareness of falling short in many matters,<\/span>
    my wondering what you think of my discipleship,<\/span>
    the times church has helped, and the times it hasn\u2019t.<\/span>
Thank you that you are enough,<\/span>
    to pardon me, cleanse me and sustain me,<\/span>
    through all my days and years.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hebrews 9:15-28 (from the NRSV (Anglicised), with OT quote in italics) 15 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. 16 Where a will is … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Daily Devotion Tuesday 16th July 2024”<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22235\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}